Breastfeeding support improves in hospitals, but it could be better

"Breastfeeding has immense health benefits for babies and their mothers," says CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden. "More hospitals are better supporting new moms to breastfeed - every newborn should have the best possible start in life."

"According to the latest CDC report, the percentage of hospitals in the US that use the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding - a standard for hospitals to support breastfeeding - increased from 29% in 2007 to 54% in 2013."

"The Ten Steps are the core of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) - a program established by the WHO and UNICEF. Some of the steps include helping mothers initiate breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth,..."